"Mercy, child! Think of your being able to do such things!" said Aunt
Frances, more and more astonished.
They went out of doors now, Shep bounding by their side. Betsy was
amazed to see that Aunt Frances drew back, quite nervously, whenever the
big dog frisked near her. Out in the barn Betsy had a disappointment.
Aunt Frances just balked absolutely at those ladder-like stairs--"Oh, I
COULDN'T! I couldn't, dear. Do YOU go up there? Is it quite safe?"
"Why, AUNT ABIGAIL went up there to see the kittens!" cried Betsy, on
the edge of exasperation. But her heart softened at the sight of Aunt
Frances's evident distress of mind at the very idea of climbing into the
loft, and she brought the kittens down for inspection, Eleanor mewing
anxiously at the top of the stairs.
On the way back to the house they had an adventure, a sort of adventure,
and it brought home to Betsy once for all how much she loved dear, sweet
Aunt Frances, and just what kind of love it was.
As they crossed the barnyard the calf approached them playfully, leaping
stiff-legged into the air, and making a pretense of butting at them with
its hornless young head.
Betsy and Shep often played with the calf in this way by the half-hour,
and she thought nothing of it now; hardly noticed it, in fact.
But Aunt Frances gave a loud, piercing shriek, as though she were being
cut into pieces.
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